Picking mechanism for cotton-picking machines.



B. C. CALUERWGOD.

PlQKiNG MECHANISM FOR COTTON PlCKlNG MACHINES APwcmon FILED APR. 30. 1913.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2011;716:385 firzvantar s. c. CALDERWSOD. 'PiCKlNG MECHANISM 0R COTTON PiCKlNG MAQHINES.

APPHCATROH FILED APR. 30. 1913.

1,161.;611Q PatentedNov.23.l9l5

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 8. C. CALDERWOOD.

PICKiNG MECHAMSM FOR COTTON PICKING MACHiNES.

APPLKCAUOH HLED APR. 30. .913.

i 161 ,6 1 Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

aura-2:23am? j W wtoz B. C. CALDERWOOD. rlcxmemcuAmsm oR COTTON PECKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION flLED APR. 30. 1913.

laiemed New. 23, 18%.

B. C. CALDERWOOD.

PICKING MECHANISM FOR COTTON PICKlNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1913;

1 1 31 61 1, Patented Nov. 23, 191.5,

6 SHEETS SHEET 5.

55 (a, 55 i r 12,

n 3 T). vtnoo. I, I

B. C. CALDERWOOD.

PlCKiNG MECHANISM FOR COTTON PlCKlNG MACHlNES. APPLICATION FILED APR.30. 191a.

ii f fii fil Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

Li" z'znesses M "entra n srArEs PATENT BENJAMIN CRAETR-EE CALDERWOOD, O VALLEY FALLS,.RHGDE ISLANT), ASSIGNOR ".fiO

PRICE-CAMPBELL COTTON PICKER CORPORATION, OF NEKV YORK, N. Y., A COREORA- C1 DELAY/ARE,

PICKING MECHANISM FOR GOTTON-PICKING- MACHINES.

specification of Letters Patent.

, vii 1m it may concern so it known that I, BENJAMIN CRABTREE 'ii'mvorm. a citizen of the United States, i r Valley Falls, in the county of and Etate of Rhode Island, have n d certain new and usefnl lmproves in Picking" lilechanisms for Cotton- JlLi Machines, of which the following siiecilication. Qvinvention relates to improvements in n4 mechanisms r01 cotton-picking Inavuhervhv four drums are used, ar- !;\vo-;,in ,l-tvv on opposite sides of the 1 mole, each llalFiI g therein a picking mechand all, picking mechanisms acting neoiislv and in unison. l'orv: rd drums are driven by means of s aft sl ling vertically in bevel gears n :1 aontal plane directly above the same axis as the drum centers, the bevel gears in turn being rotated by bevel pinicns keyed to cross shaft which is en by a mere pinion mounted on a shaft 1 mining l with the niain frames.

penile rocket mounted. to each ofthe to j in shafts,

J in the c rein center. As the each and all or? the four drums inclosed mechanism is exactly through the action of elevating i srn consists of a fixed drum late, of a cam mounted held in position by a screw e top drum plate. A lifting cam rm a circular arc with a comang'led incline either end is also to the drum center, and acts, in coni with a mechanism to he mentioned 1 1', 1 tliljillll fiaji la of stopping and starting; mtary motion oi picking fingers.

My picking lingers which are socketed into combined tinge sockets and spiral pinions rotating at oruidistant points in the tzlll'l0"-=. are rotar through a spiral gear shalt. pla' i" i ll inside each carrier nd ro a :orizontal plane, engaging l, with aloresa d c nhined finger sockets and and directly under the sliding clutch.

remains stationary in relation to rotar and a chain engages Wit spiral pinions. Keyed to and sliding in a verticalreciprocating plane on this shaft, and at a point well abovethe topmost part of the carriers,is a. clutch having an intermittent engagement with a combined clutchand-pinion rotating freely on the saine shaft, The cornbined clutch-and-pinion meshes with a fixed circul r gear ring secured to the drum center heretofore mentioned, and as it revolves around the drum center. is rotated by the action of the gear teeth in the ring, and in turn rotates the keyed sliding clutch.

At a predetermined period this clutch rises and rides upon the lifting cam 1nentioned in a previous paragraph, thereby throwing the chitch teeth out of engage merit, allowing the eoiizihii'ied clutch-andpinion to rotate freely on the 'shaft, which j motion until the clutch rides oil the lifting cam, when the rotary motion of the shaftis resumed.

The carriers, with their inclosed mechanism, are stepped. and pivoted at their lower end intoa bottom carrier heel keyed to a vertical shaft, Where their upper ends are inclosed in capped hearings in an upper carrier ivheel keyed to the same shaft, both carrier Wheels and shaft rotating in a, horizontal plane. Y

A cam arm at the top end of the carriers and directly above the ipper carrier wheel, engages With the cam heretofore mentioned and czi'u'ses the carriers to swing with a partial rotary or oscillating motion thev revolve around the drum centers, ther l -f swinging the picking ringers into the in ous positions for picking, stripping oli the cotton and passing through the ing brushes, the cotton once stripped from the picking fingers by the merzhanisn'i designed for that purpose is thrown onto an whence it is conveyed to the cleaners and. thence into the baskets The rotation of my carrier Wheels is in direction, reverse to the travel of the vehicle, and the relation of linear speed is such that therarriers travel rearward at the same sin-ed. that the vehicle travels over the ground, or in other Word the picking, the gels assume a fixed posi ion in the plant until time for Withdrawal and stripping.-

elevator belt bv the action of a pike roller,

Patented Nov. 3, 153 o mechanism.

The objects of my invention are: first, to provide positive and efiicient lubrication for each and every moving part; second, to provide means for making all units of the picking mechanism accessible and interchangeable; and third, to furnish means whereby cotton may be picked, cleaned and placed in convenient receptacles without injury to squares, blooms, unopened bolls or foliage. Referring to the accompanying drawings forminga partview of the cottonpicking machine illustrating the method by which the picking mechanism is suspended from a vehicle, as well as the manner in which the cotton cleaners act in conjunction with the picking Fig. 2 is a side view of the left-hand drum, with the door to the lefthand forward drum removed to show the.

carriers and picking fingers. In this view are also shown the cam arms keyed and clamped to the carriers and 1n engagement with the main cam. The fixed circular gear section through one of the plant.

ring is also showrjifgijalso the stripping mechanism, and a portion of the elevating belts. The manner in which the picking mechanism is suspendedfrom the top drum plate is also shown,

manner of driving the various units of the picking mechanism is illustrated by i the chain and sprocket drives from forward to rear unit, and from the drum centers to spike rollers. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the center line of the vehicle wheels, illustrating the various positions of the picking fingers while engaging the plant, passing through the stripping mechanism and translating intp position for rentering Themethod of elevating the'cotton is shown in'portion, also the means provided for propelling'the cotton onto the elevating belts. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the forward drum centers, illustrating the method of driving the various units from the cross shaft in the drum transmission case; the section also shows the manner in which the carriers are placed in the capped bearing on the upper carrier wheel,

stepped and pivoted into the bottom carrier wheel, thereby permitting a partial rotary or oscillative motion hitherto referred to. This view also shows the relation of the main translating cam, circular gear ring and the lifting .cam, to the fixed circular drum center, and of all plate. Fig. 5is a horizontal section through the spiral shaft clutch. Fig. 6 is a vertical the carriers, showing the inclosed spiral shaft in engagement with the combined finger sockets and spiral pinions. The part of the spiral shaft that" -.ke ved to the shaft.

hereof, Figure 1 is a side andthe means whereby th s in turn in suspended from the main frame these units to the top drum is above the carriers is in section, the various relations of the free running combined pinion-and-clutch to fixed circular gear ring and sliding clutch; this latter showing of the spiral shaft permits of lubricating the interior of the carriers. Fig. 7 is a top View of a cam .arm in positionon the carriers. Fig. 8 is a section through the sprocket covers and top drum plate, showing my method of lubricating the carriers 7 gather-ers wiping the oil from a retainer hav. ing a wick at its outlet end; and Fig. 9 illustrates the manner of conveying lubrication to the cam arm rollers. I

I In the drawings, -1 is the vehicle, 2 the main frames,

The hole in the center by means of oil from which are suspended the drums, 3 the drum lifting mechanism, 4 the, i

sight feed oil cups for lubricating'the cars".

riers, 5 the cover for the drum bevel gears, and 6 the upper drum shafts.

7 are thetop drum plates, 8 the upper elevator section, and 9 the lower elevator section.

10 are the cleaners, through which the cotton passes before being deposited into the baskets, 11 the strippers, and 12 the spike rollers, both these latter constituting the stripping mechanism.

13 are the cam arms which impart the oscillating motion to the carriers, 11 the fixed circular drum centers around which revolve the carriers with their inclosed mechanism, and 15 the inner front elevator belt pulley cover.

16 are the drum hangers, 17 the drum doors, 18 the bottom drum plates, and 19 the covers for the upper drum plates, which covers also act as dust guards for the various chains, sprockets and other mechanisms placed on the top sideof the drum plates.

20 is the main cam, which, in conjunction with the cam arms, imparts the oscillating.

motion to the carriers, 21 the fixed circular gear ring, around which. revolves the combined clutches-and-pinions on the spiral gear shafts.

22 is the outer front elevator belt pulley cover, 23 the drum shaft brackets, 24 the drum hanger brackets, 25 the plant gatherers, and 26 the plant deflector (Fig.'-f).'

27 is the finger fluid tank, 28 the transmission case, 29 the drum shaft couplings, which join by a floating member the upper and lower drum shafts, 30 the rear drum drive-chain, and 31 the drum elevating chain.

are the carriers, which contain the spiral shafts and the picking fingers 33.

34 are the elevator belts, 35 the chains for spike roller drive, and 36 the spike roller couplings, which join the spike roller to they CJI nuts ell and rear ones of which serve to retard the cotton when t} propelled by the spike rollers,

iereiy inmartin a snain'v throw to the i 2: Lu

same, and insuring its reaching the elevator belts; and 40 are the l'ali plant hoods, which inclose the plant until the active mechanism has passed by.

41 is the upper car'ierwheel, which is keyed to the same shaft and rotates simultaneously with the lower carrier Wheel 42.

43 is the lifting cam n'iehtioned in conjunction with the mechanism for starting and stopping the rotary motion of the pickinell the middle cover for the drum drive transzni. ion case, and -25 the top plant deflector, which holds the plant in the proper angle while the picking mechanism is passing through, and prevents the foliage from winding around the shutting".

46 are the combined -iniches-and-pinions, which engage with the fixed circular while rota 1g freely upon the spiralshafts. and 5H9 keyed sliding clutches Which. at fixed periods, engage with aforesaid comhined clntches-and-pinions, thereby causing: the spiral shafts to rotate or cease rotating.

it; are the here! gears on the upper drum shafts. if the intermeshing pinions on the drum drive cross shaft, 50 the bevel gear on the cross shaft, and 51 the cross shaft for the drum drive (f ear 50 meshes with a lengthwisecxteudingr transmission shaft from the c! it the transmission shaft is shown.

52 are the drun drive sprockets, which drive the re drums. 5-; the spiral gear- -arrving shafts in the carriers, 53 the spiral pipe to cam zinc. hut no her the engine nor' gears on the shaft St the rollers on the cam arms, which minimize friction between v the cam arms and the cam 20, 55 the spiral pinions in the carriers, which the capacity of sockets for the fingers, and

an; rotated by the spiral gear shaft 53. and

56 the oiler to cam arms, and 57 the oil feed arms 58 1s the feed pipe for the lubrication of the carriers, and 59 the retainer having a Wick on its lower or outlet end, from which the oil gatherers b0 deliver their equal share of lubricant.

(S1 is the sprocket by which the spike rollers are rotated for propelling the stripped cotton to the elevator belts.

ir'hat I claim The. combination, in a picking for cotton-picking machines. of carriers having severally incloscd therein a spiral gear shaft for transmitting rotary motion to picking fingers; the shaft; a clutch slidahly mounted on the shaft with a vertical rcciprocating motion: a combined clutchand-pinion keyed to the shaft and engaging with a. fixed circular gear mount 1 on a fixed circnlar drum center: the sliding clutch engaging with the aforesaid comhined oiutch-and pinion. and at regular and predetermined periods rising and riding upon a li'ftin z'cam mounted on the fixed drum center, thereby throwing the clutch teeth out of engagement and causing cessation oi rotary motion of picking lingers.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing \YliIHSSQS, this 25th day oi April llllil.

BENJABHN Cltill'llllllil CALDERWOODJ lVitnessc-s:

(l. 13mm), Winona: .l. Doom-1.

mechanism a series of also act in 7 

